The "B" Word

Budget. We mean budget. And this is going to be ongoing and changing as we go.
I thought I'd start of with a nice, relaxing pic of Belize, just to remind me why I'm doing this.

Ahh, that's better.
This is the Frieze at Xunantunich. This is a plaster mould of the original, which is tucked away safely behind it.

To begin, we've set out to save as much as we can and eliminate all unnecessary expenses. (Yeah, right!) Based on our current incomes, we can begin saving $400 per month, and I plan to start on my next paycheck, Jan 15. I'm two months in on paying off a 6 month note on a new couch, and once that's over, saving and paying off all credit cards should get better. I hope to have one credit card paid off by the end of February, and I will then immediately direct the funds I was using per month on paying that card on to the card with the larger balance but lower interest rate. I also will be looking for a raise sometime this year, and if so, I would hope to designate the majority of that cash to the savings, hopefully getting to $600 per month at least by this time next year.  So tentatively, lets look at $4800 in savings the first year, $7200 for the second year = $12000 savings so far that I am estimating for manageable savings. Again, this does not include selling either of the two cars. According to Kelley Blue Book, my current car could fetch a hard $3,000 in additional funds. I might invest a bit in small maintenance to get this price, like a $25 fan belt, and a good whack with a rubber mallet to get a bumper ding out. I do not mind selling this car, so this means we could realistically save $15,000 or so. 

So now that I've told myself how to manage some of the funds that are more or less fluctuating, let's talk about spending those savings!

Firstly, the obvious is we need to get there. The initial idea is for one of us to take a trip down before the official move date and get the rental place together, and possibly a car for lease if we'll need it. I'm hoping for the first 6 months that we will NOT need it, and we can use bikes or lease a golf cart for the majority of our needs. 

Plane tickets:

Currently, one-way tickets look like $479 per person. We plan on moving during the cheapest period-- the winter, or rainy season. This said, we will also be taking more luggage than normal on this flight as well, so let's estimate around $550 per person, all included. 

$1100.00--     Two one-way plane tickets in January

$675.00--       One round-trip ticket to Belize to "set up shop" ** we may or may not need this if we can do things online. If so, this could be a real money-saver. 

$600.00--       Tourism Fees (monthly $50 per person) for the first 6 months

$1200.00--     Residence Fees (monthly $100 per person) for the last 6 months
$125.00--       Bringing the cat on the plane**
$100.00--       Veterinary Exam for the cat before flight

That's what I know right now. I've just signed up for The Belize Forum in order to gain more information (and hopefully connections) on the topic. Again, we'll be looking for a 2 bed, 1 bath. I'm going to do a good bit of research there. Looks right now a 1 bed, 1 bath on the Placencia peninsula runs around $500-$600 per month (overestimating here). That means we'd probably be somewhere around $700. That's pretty much what we're paying now. I haven't yet done research on how much cable/internet costs, nor water, nor power. These are all things I'm going to have to estimate for the first 6 months in order to save for. We'd only need internet, no t.v., and possibly a window-unit in the bedroom. Don't forget, this place will need to be furnished.

So lets see how we're doing so far.

Total estimated savings--     $15000
Total expenses known--      $3800 (This includes our bonus round-trip ticket for scoping it out)
Amount remaining--            $11200

If we want to do a quick estimate, we can suggest $700 per month for our rental, and $50 per month for internet, and $50 for water for 6 months is $4800. We should be safe and hedge two more months without income in case jobs are scarce, so $6400. That would leave us with $4800 for expenses for the first 6 to 8 months. That would be $800 per month for the first 8 months between us. That sounds good, considering what we're working with now, but I want to be as conservative as possible. I'm sure this number will dwindle even smaller as we go, so start big!

** Let me expound briefly (stream of conscience style) about bringing the cat via air-plane. We will most likely be using Continental for flights, as they are the most reliable to Belize. They do not allow in-cabin flights of animals across international borders. She would have to be checked into the baggage claim. Continental Airline Pet Rules. She must be accompanied by the pertinent documentation needed to enter Belize as well as an Airline Health Certificate issued within 10 days of departure. I guess we'll have to tack on a $100 charge to get her checked out at the vet before we go. So let me edit and say I'll need THREE copies of Kitten's paperwork. I want one to go with her, one to stay with me, and one to go ahead to Belize.

That being said, I'm going off to work on my next assignment-- getting in shape! Here's hoping I make two miles today!